The Sunflower Sonata
by courtXjester
Summary: Fuu was only trying to help her friend the day she got the teahouse burned down...really! She was just helping out! She probably shouldn't have asked the suspicious guy with the sword though... that was probably a bit drastic.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't a very busy day in the teahouse, but still the two waitresses felt frazzled. One was a young girl, with light brown hair, and wide-open brown eyes. Her kimono was soft pink and matched her usually 'bright' disposition. However, she was having a difficult time not snapping at the rude customers who were giving the humble teahouse their patronage.

The other waitress was an inch taller than her. She had some interesting features. Her eyes were mismatched. The left eye was a very light brown while the other was almost black. Her hair also varied in color. It appeared that every shade of brown was found somewhere on her head. Her kimono was a light blue. Small white cranes flew across her shoulders and down her sleeves. Like Fuu, the complaining customers were beginning to irk her, not as much though. She noticed Fuu's agitated looks and quickly sent her to the kitchen.

"Fuu, get me ten dumplings. I'll handle the other customers. Relax. Don't yell at the blonde! He's the governor's son…I think," She whispered.

"But Aki they're so rude!" Fuu replied glaring angrily at the men lazing about. Aki sighed and pushed her fellow worker toward the small kitchen.

"Get going."

"Where are my dumplings?!" One man yelled. Aki let her kimono slip a bit from her shoulders and sidled over to the man. She smirked at him flirtatiously.

"Oh, they'll be coming soon. I'm so sorry for inconvenience," she told him. Much to her annoyance her sexual approach seemed to do nothing for the man's temper.

"You better be sorry! I've been waiting all day!" He complained. Aki tried not to scoff at the man's wild exaggeration.

"All day my ass. You just got here five minutes ago," she thought as Fuu arrived with his dumplings.

"Here you go sir! Sorry for the wait!" She gushed. She and Aki both turned their heads when they heard footsteps.

Fuu gestured to Aki that she'd handle the new customer. Aki turned to go into the kitchen when a hand grabbed her robe. She glanced down at a greasy haired man.

"Can I help you?" She asked. She tugged on her robed in an attempt to release it.

"Why don't you join us?" The man drawled.

"Why don't I get a strong man like you something to eat?" She suggested. He grinned drunkenly and slipped his hand underneath the fabric and caressed her calf. Aki scowled in exasperation. She tried to walk away, but his hand tightened on her ankle and she fell to the ground. Amid boisterous laughter Aki grimaced. Her cheeks began to get hot with embarrassment and annoyance.

"Let go," she ordered. She scowled even more as she was pulled along the dirt floor.

"Aw come on. Have some fun!" A hand suddenly grabbed Aki's shoulder and a face lowered itself to hers. The face belonged to a man. He had a mop of black hair, a scarred eyebrow, and an earring. And an expression that Aki thought was dangerous and blood thirsty.

"Hey. I like this girl. Think I'll keep her," he announced, planting a kiss on Aki's cheek. He stood and pulled her up. His eyes then caught sight of the dumplings sitting on the table. With amazing speed he popped them into his mouth.

"Hey!" The man roared. He and six others jumped up, swords raised. Aki felt the man's hand let go of her shoulder. At the sight of his own strangely made sword she quickly backed away towards Fuu, who stood by the entrance.

"Who is he?" Aki hissed. Fuu shook her head.

"He said he'd take care of the customers for 50 dumplings. Once the guy started pawing you, he kept jacking up the price. We owe him 100 dumplings now," she stated. She watched in wonder as the lean man jeered at those surrounding him. Aki gaped at the smaller girl.

"What is wrong with you?! I could have handled that! You didn't need to get Mr. Dumpling-Crazy into this!" She hissed once again. At the sound of a scream, her head spun around. She gasped at the sight of a hand on the floor. Blood stained the dirt and a man was rolling on the ground in pain. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy taunted the rest of the men and they all attacked. Aki watched the man in fascination, not noticing Fuu pulling on her arm. He leapt, jumped, and swung away, smiling like a demon the entire time.

"Aki! Aki!" Fuu exclaimed, snapping her friend from her reverie. Both girls ran to the kitchen to join the teahouses owners.

"What's going on?!" The elderly couple exclaimed. All four of them huddled by the doorframe. Suddenly there was silence. Aki and Fuu peeked out to see Mr. Dumpling-Crazy talking to the blonde.

"Gimme your hand," Mr. Dumpling-Crazy ordered. The blonde slowly raised his hand and gave it to him. The blonde's eyes widened in fear as he learned what his fingers were going to be used for.

"One," Mr. Dumpling-Crazy said. CRACK! The sickening noise was following by a howl of pain. Aki shuddered for the man, as another finger was broken. Three more of the governor's son's fingers were broken.

Just then a samurai walked through the door. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy took an interest in him and began to fight.

"Who is **that**?" Aki whispered to Fuu. The girl shrugged in reply.

"I have no clue!"

"I can't believe you Fuu…you got help from him…that man is insane! Look at him!" Aki told her. Fuu glared at her.

"Well I only wanted him to help you out! Sorry for caring!" She snapped. Aki groaned in frustration. Fuu then shrieked as the two men dashed into the kitchen.

"Aah!" Before she knew what was going on Aki pulled her close and ran for the door.

"Fuu! Look out! There's a fire!" She yelled. She had just caught a glimpse off the arsonist. She remembered he was missing a hand. The two stood outside of the flaming teahouse, watching bits and pieces of it fly through the air.

"There goes food…"

"Yep," Aki agreed. Her face softened as she looked at her friend. "Hey Fuu."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for wanting to help, but I can take care of myself." Fuu raised her eyebrow in disbelief and folded her arms.

"Why didn't you do anything about it then?" Unable to come up with a retort, Aki let out a 'humph', and threw her arm around Fuu's shoulder.

"Brat," she said.

"Loser," Fuu replied with a grin.


	2. Chapter 2

Fuu and Aki stood in the middle of the wrecked teahouse. The setting sun painted the city with the same yellows and reds that had colored the destructive flames that had been roaring only moments ago. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy and the samurai had been dragged out of the burning building by the governor's guards. Aki presumed that they were being held prisoner at the moment.

"Fuu! Aki!" The girls turned to see the elderly former-owners of the teahouse. They were both dressed for travel and had packs on their backs.

"It seems that running a teahouse was not our calling. You two are welcome to travel with us if you wish!" The man offered. Fuu smiled at him.

"Thank you very much, but there's still something I need to do here," she said. Aki glanced down at her and then back at the couple.

"I-I'm going to stay with Fuu. She needs some one to control her every once in awhile," she teased.

"Hey!" Fuu exclaimed while the couple laughed.

"Good fortune to both of you then!"

"Thank you! Good luck to you too!" Aki and Fuu replied. They watched the old folks walk off down the dusty street. Aki sighed lazily and began fiddling with her hair that had become undone from its bun.

"So-what are you stickin' around here for?" She asked. Fuu picked up a piece of burnt…. something and played with it, stalling her answer.

"Fuuuu! Fuuu! C'mon! Tell me!" Aki urged, waving her hand in front of Fuu's face. Fuu swatted at her hand and frowned in annoyance.

"I need to find the Sunflower Samurai," she said quickly. She looked at Aki and noticed the vague air in her mismatch eyes.

"And why exactly do you want to go after a samurai sunflower?" Aki questioned. Fuu laid her palm against her forehead and shook her head.

"No Aki. The Sunflower Samurai," she clarified, speaking slowly.

"Oh!" Aki exclaimed. She snorted after a pause. "I was really confused. I **really** wanted to know how a sunflower could be a samurai." Fuu had to giggle at the image of a sunflower wielding swords. She then turned her head to gaze at the roof of the governor's home. She smiled. The smile was one of pure confidence.

"Who is the Sunflower Samurai?" Aki asked her. Fuu pushed some strands of hair out of her face before she responded to Aki's question. The taller girl waited and sadly picked at the burnt edges of her kimono.

While she had been protecting Fuu from the flames her own clothing had caught fire. Now instead of being ankle length, one (the right) side of the kimono ended at her knee.

"I'm going to have to get this fixed," she murmured sadly.

"I need those two men," Fuu told her. Aki's head jerked up.

"What?"

"Those two men…that were fighting earlier. I need to save them," Fuu explained. She began to feel uncomfortable as Aki blinked at her, stunned. Fuu frowned and folded her arms.

"What?!" She snapped.

"Are you insane Fuu?" Aki asked, squinting her two toned eyes.

"No!"

"Then **why** do you want to save the homicidal maniac?"

"Because I need him to help me find the Sunflower Samurai!" Fuu snapped. She was growing annoyed at being interrogated.

"Now I really need to be going. I'll…see you sometime. Hopefully," she said walking away from the desolate foundations. Aki ran her hand over her hair in an agitated fashion. Before Fuu got three yards away she began chasing after her.

"Fuu! Wait a second! What are you going to do? How are you going to save them?" She asked.

Fuu faced her with a sly grin.

"Wanna help me bribe the guards?" Aki gave her a flat stare.

"Does this bribery involve sex?" She asked in an aggravated tone. Now it was Fuu's turn to blink.

"I was thinking more like begging…."

"You've got to be kidding. The governor's son died because of them! The guards are not just gonna let you waltz into the cells and drag your guys out!" Aki said. Fuu mind digested this information and quickly spat out a new idea.

"Oh I know! Come with me! I know just what we'll need!" She cried. She grabbed Aki's wrist and dragged her down the street.

"Where are we going?!" Aki asked. She turned her head and yelled, "Sorry!" to many of the people Fuu ran her into.

"A shop that's gonna help us!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Dear christinadeath, thanks so much for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Fuu emerged from the small shop triumphant. Aki was waiting outside wearing a cross expression and tying a piece of black string around her hair. Her eyes slid under her semi closed lids to inspect the bundle held in the shorter girl's arms.

"What did you get?" She asked curtly. Fuu hummed a cheerful tune and walked past her. Aki formed her lips into a small 'o' and elevated her eyebrows.

"You better not be ignoring me," Aki warned drawing along side Fuu, who continued walking with a pleasant smile.

"Doo de do de doo," She sang. Aki growled. She tried to flick the side of Fuu's head, but Fuu dodged her angry fingers.

"Brat," Aki muttered angrily flipping a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Looooser!" Fuu crooned. Aki inhaled and sighed in an attempt to relax.

"What's your plan Fuu? It better not be anything psychotic. Wait-this entire **thing** is psychotic," she said. Fuu shook her head. She didn't seem to notice Aki's sarcastic jibe.

"Nope. Nothing psychotic," she assured her. Aki however was still suspicious.

"Well…what is it then?" She questioned. Fuu lifted the top of the box to show her. Aki's face fell at what she saw. Sushi and a pair of chopsticks greeted her eyes.

"We'll bribe him with sushi!" Fuu exclaimed.

"Fuu…sushi isn't going to do anything," Aki groaned. Fuu was shocked.

"Why not?!" She cried. Aki tiredly explained why Fuu's plan was faulty.

"The guard may not be hungry…we'll have to use what comes naturally I guess," she said. Fuu sighed, disappointed that her genius plan wasn't as great as she had thought it was.

"Look, Fuu, you do realize we could be killed for this right?" Aki asked, glancing nervously at her. Fuu nodded.

"I know. Aki, thanks for coming but I can do this myself. You don't need to do to put yourself at risk," she said quietly. There was a moment of silence. The girls stood in the middle of the street. Fuu was looking into her box of sushi as if it held the answers to all her questions. Aki's eyes swept over the younger girl, the governor's home, and then her feet.

"No you can't. You wanted to bribe the guard with sushi of all things. And yes I do have to come with you. Who knows how much trouble you'll get into?" She said, her voice piercing the growing quiet. Fuu lifted her head to smile at her.

"Is this samurai really important to you?" Aki asked.

"Yes…" Fuu trailed off. Aki smoothed out her burnt kimono and patted her hair. She held an air of finality about her.

"Alright. It's getting dark. Let's go," she ordered. She began to walk forward. She turned her head over her shoulder and said, " Save some of the sushi. I'm getting hungry."

Fuu and Aki approached the prison slowly. They were currently hiding behind a wall. Aki could felt her heart beating wildly with fear and she was fighting the enormous urge to run away. She had been concocting some sort of plan but her doubts about it succeeding were growing. Fuu, however, only appeared to be slightly nervous.

"Fuu, we go up together. I'll tell the guard I'm a present and the sushi is for his enjoyment. I'll…. steal the key and give it to you. Once I tell you to leave or something you go get the guys….Ok?" She whispered. Fuu nodded and gulped. She watched Aki loosen her clothing and pull a few wisps of hair in front of her face. Aki felt her stomach contract with nervousness. She reached out and squeezed Fuu's hand.

"Now." They crept up together. Fuu noticed that as they drew closer to the guard Aki was taking in gulps of the night air. The guard stared at them as they approached.

"Hello," Aki said. The guard was flabbergasted. "The governor wants to reward you for keeping watch over these dangerous men. You're bravery is-astonishing," she lied. The man puffed up with pride. Fuu lifted the box to hide her smirk. She was a bit surprised when Aki's fingers reached for the chopsticks.

"Here. I've brought you some food. On a lonely night like this your stomach must be lonely as well," Aki murmured. She was putting on quite a performance. As she lifted a piece of sushi to the man's lips, her free hand landed on his hip. Silently, deft fingers removed a key from his belt.

"Oooh. You're so handsome!" She moaned, leaning her head against the guard's shoulder. He was positively beaming. He swallowed the sushi and grabbed Aki's wrist. Fuu's eyes widened. Aki giggled and wriggled away. She turned to Fuu.

"You naughty man! Here, ah-Chet, go bring us some sake. Hurry now!" She told her. She dropped the key and the chopsticks into the box. Though her voice sounded cheerful, Aki's face was blotted with aggravation. Fuu nodded quickly.

She scurried away; the only sounds she heard were the man's and Aki's murmurings.

"Ooh! I hope he doesn't do anything to her!" She thought. She sighed in relief as she found the cell she was looking for. She kneeled down and examined the two men lying on the floor.

"Hey!" She greeted them. Both of them turned their heads toward her. Fuu wondered why they seemed so weak.

"What the…you're that girl from the teahouse aren't ya?" Mr. Dumpling-Crazy asked. Fuu nodded. The samurai watched the proceedings in silence. She then pulled out the key.

"Listen you two. I'll get you out but you need to promise me that you'll help me find the Sunflower Samurai and that you won't kill each other till we do. Alright?"

"Hm?"

"What are you yapping about bitch?" Fuu growled in frustration and waved the key around.

"I'll let you out if you help me and don't kill each other ok?!" The two men looked at each other and nodded.

"Fine. Unlock it girl."

"Geez, he's rude," she thought as she popped the key into the lock. She jiggled it for a moment and was pleased to hear a 'click.' She quickly looked around. She nearly jumped as she saw a person hurrying towards her. She stood, realizing it was Aki.

"Ew, ew, ew. Gimme your sleeve!" She hissed. Fuu raised her arm slowly. Aki wiped her hands on it, grimacing the whole time.

"What happ-" Fuu began to ask. Aki shook her head.

"-You do not want to know. Hey, are you guys alright?" She asked, turning her attention to the convicts. They both were struggling to stand.

"Yes. We're fine," the samurai told her. Aki snarled in the back of her throat and grabbed the man closest to her. She lifted Mr. Dumpling-Crazy's arm over her shoulder.

"Fuu! Get the other one! Hurry up!" Fuu hastened to the samurai's side. She grinned weakly and helped him stand also.

"Hey! Who the hell are you? Get offa me!" Mr. Dumpling-Crazy snapped as he and Aki shuffled out of the cell.

"Be quiet! My name's Aki. Happy?"

"No!" They ran across the yard; ducking behind various objects when they heard a noise. Fuu was glad that the man she was helping was silent.

"Wait." Then again maybe the man did speak after all. "Our swords." As he spoke he seemed to be regaining his strength. He stood alone and adjusted his glasses. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy was standing on his own too.

"Yeah. Where'd the bastards put them?" He asked. The samurai nodded towards a small shed that was being guarded by two men.

"There."

"Aw hell." They both began to walk towards the building.

"Hey! What are they doing?!" Aki snapped.

"We'll be right back ladies," Mr. Dumpling-Crazy assured them with a smirk. He disappeared behind a barrel and crept up on the guards. The samurai slinked near them as well.

Aki watched Mr. Dumpling-Crazy slip behind the shed. He inched forward and wrapped his arm against one of the guard's neck. The samurai silently slammed his hand against the back of the other's neck. The samurai bent down and extracted a key. He unlocked the shed. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy dashed in and re-appeared with his weapon. The samurai followed his example. Fuu and Aki ran to them.

"Now can we leave?" Aki hissed. The men nodded. "Follow me!" She ordered. She led the party to the part of the wall she and Fuu and climbed over. There was a sturdy vine that reached over both sides of the wall. She grabbed a hold of a piece of it and lifted herself up. Fuu frowned; she remembered how awkward it was climbing the stupid vine as she held the box. Sighing she waited for the samurai to hoist himself up. Then she tucked the box under her arm and grabbed some of the vine. Aki and Mr. Dumpling-Crazy were already close to the top. The samurai was near the middle of the wall. Fuu tried to speed up her progress but she was unable to do so while holding the box. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder and shuddered as cries of alarm reached her ears. They had been discovered.

"Were are they?!"

"Find them!"

Before Aki dropped over the wall, she spotted figures running about. She drew in her breath.

"Fuu! Drop it!" She snapped. She dove over the wall, breathing heavily.

"Hey! Bitch in the back! Hurry it up!" Mr. Dumpling-Crazy scolded as he dropped over himself. Fuu listened to both of them. She immediately began making better progress without her annoying gear. The samurai waited for her before he let himself gracefully descend. Aki held out her arms as Fuu fell.

"You ok Fuu?"

"Uh huh," Fuu nodded. The four of them ran away and vanished into the night.

Fuu was convinced that their escape was nothing short of a miracle.


	4. Chapter 4

The moon was as pale as a ghost that night. It sent down dim rays that didn't provide much light at all. The four people sat silently in the forest; a small fire separated the two girls from the two men. Aki's eyes drifted over her newest companions as she yawned softly. She still hadn't learned their names and she didn't really want to. They both made her stomach tightened with nervousness. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy in particular.

"Trust Fuu to want to travel with a psycho," she thought. Her eyes settled on the resident psycho.

Aki had to cringe as she remembered his violent episode in the teahouse. She flushed as she realized he was staring back at her. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy smirked as he watched her tilt her head away. Aki glanced down at Fuu instead, who was sitting with her knees curled up to her chest.

"Hey, what are your names?" Fuu suddenly asked. The samurai lifted his head to give Fuu a cool glance. The flames flickered in his glasses, making his eyes look like fiery globes. Fuu thought the image was rather creepy.

"My name is Jin," he said. His tone of voice did not invite conversation. Aki frowned at his aloof attitude. Mr. Dumpling-Crazy let out a loud yawn and stretched his arms over his head.

"I'm Mugen. Who're you?" He asked, not seeming very interested. He laid his bony elbows back on his knees as Fuu answered.

"My name's Fuu," she said, sounding perky. Aki could not believe she was still wide-awake. All she wanted to do was sleep and sleep and sleep some more.

"I'm Aki."

"You want us to look for some flowery guy right?" Mugen asked. Fuu was a bit taken a back, but she recovered quickly.

"Oh yeah, the samurai who smells of sunflowers. I-"

"-Wait a sec. Now he smells? I thought he was just **called** the Sunflower Samurai. Is this guy even real?" Aki interjected. She looked at Fuu, eyes full of suspicion.

"Yes he's real! And he smells of sunflowers ok?!" Fuu snapped. She grew irritated with the unconvinced looks being sent her way by the three other members of the ragtag group.

"What does he look like?" The samurai asked.

"Uhhh…" Fuu stammered.

"Where is he?" Mugen questioned.

"Ah…well…" she stuttered.

"What's his name?"

"Do you have a picture or something?" Fuu finally cracked.

"AAAAAH! I can't this!" She shrieked. Aki, surprised by Fuu's brutal vocal chords, jerked her head away. The two men also rocked back a bit.

"Geez-You're loud for such a little bitch," Mugen stated. Fuu glowered at him. Aki shook her head sighing.

"Fuu, you have no idea what you're doing do you?" She thought.

"Are you two alright?" She asked aloud. The samurai nodded.

"Yes. I'm fine now."

"Yeah. The bastard's torturers are pretty pathetic. Barely left a scratch," Mugen bragged. Aki and Fuu exchanged skeptical glances. They both clearly remembered that neither man could stand on their own at first.

"You saved him," Aki mouthed. Fuu stuck her tongue out in retaliation. Aki shook her head at the juvenile behavior.

"I'm going to bed. Night." With that, Aki laid down on her side, face towards the fire, and closed her eyes. Granted, she was too nervous of being killed, robbed, or raped to go to sleep right away, but her tiredness finally began to gnaw at her and she gave in.

Aki awoke to find Fuu's head on her thigh. She yawned and stretched her arms. She glanced across the dead fire and saw Mugen sprawled on the dirt, asleep. The samurai was nowhere to be found.

"Wonder where he is," she thought groggily. A tight feeling in her lower gut compelled her to remove Fuu's head from its perch upon her thigh. She looked around and then walked into the undergrowth, to search for a place to relieve herself.

She crept around several large roots and little saplings. Her ears were pleased with songs of early morning birds. The beautiful scenery of sunlit spotted trees took her mind off of the odd predicament she found herself in.

With an annoyed grunt she pushed a branch out of her face. The sight before her eyes immediately made her freeze. Standing a few yards further was Jin. His back was towards her and it appeared that he had also come…to do his business. He sighed contently.

Aki felt her face heat up and pressed her hand against her mouth to prevent a treacherous snort. She tried to creep away as stealthily as a ninja. She put one foot behind her, and then the other. But unfortunately Aki wasn't a ninja, and her untrained foot snapped a dry twig. Once again she froze, this time she was felt soaked in immense embarrassment.

Jin's head swung around. His expression was surprised, presumably at being caught with his guard down. As soon as he saw it Aki and not an enemy, his surprise turned to barely concealed mortification and he hastily fiddled with his clothing.

"I'm so sorry! I'll leave! I'm sorry!" Aki babbled, grimacing in remorse. Jin was silent. Aki ran off to another section of the forest, humiliated yet still laughing at the hilarity of it all.

Meanwhile, back at the measly little encampment, Fuu and Mugen had just awoken. After a few uncomfortable minutes of silence, Mugen spoke.

"Where's your friend?" Fuu shrugged.

"I don't know. Where's yours?" She asked.

"He ain't my friend. Shit, he's probably off screwing-What's her name again?" He replied. Fuu was repulsed at Mugen's offensive statement and she let Mugen know about it-loudly.

"EW! NO! He's not having sex with her! Why was that the first thing you thought of! That's so gross! Maybe they're just getting food or something!" She exclaimed. Mugen winced at her volume.

"Damn girl! Keep it quiet!" A very one-sided altercation ensued, with Fuu's voice dominating.

(a/n: what a surprise ;p)


	5. Chapter 5

Jin stepped into the camp. His face was as emotionless as ever. It seemed that he had succeeded in pushing the little 'incident' with Aki back into the tiniest crevices of his mind. Mugen eyed him warily and Fuu raised her eyes up to his.

"Hey, where you been?" Mugen asked, standing. Jin glanced at him, showing just a tinge of annoyance.

"None of your business." Mugen smirked and his hand leapt to his sword. Fuu cried out about their promise as Jin reached for his own.

Aki interrupted the death match as she walked out from behind some saplings. All three turned to her. She paused, feeling awkward. She pushed some stray strands of hair behind her ears and glanced about.

"Uh-hello? What's going on?" She asked. Fuu stood.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "Oh, hey, does anyone of any money?" She asked. Aki did a double take.

"Huh?" Mugen and Aki replied.

"Money. Like the shiny things that buy you food!" Fuu said. Aki groaned.

"Fuu. I know what money is. Anyway, what about you guys? You have anything?" She asked. Mugen reached into his shorts and extracted a two little coins. Jin pulled four out from inside his robes. Fuu had three.

"C'mon! Whatcha got?" Mugen asked Aki, who had made no move to reveal her dough. She regarded him with a look of innocence.

"I don't have anything. I'm completely broke." She raised her hands in defense when Fuu glared at her.

"What? I am!" She cried.

"You're lying. Give it," Fuu commanded. She stuck out her upturned palm. Aki pouted and fidgeted.

"But-" She pleaded. Mugen quirked an eyebrow at the scene and blew air out through his lips. Jin remained silent. (a/n: what a surprise…)

"Give it up already, you miser! This is for food and stuff! I'm not gonna go wasting your money! Geez!" Fuu exclaimed. A mini-stare down ensued between the 'miser' and Fuu.

"Mmm…fine," Aki grumbled. She reached under the robe near her stomach and withdrew a small brown bag. Mugen's eyes widened when he heard a 'clink.' Jin's ears also seemed to be attracted to the noise.

Mugen made a move to snatch it away from Aki, but she pulled it close to her. She held it tight against her stomach.

"No touching the bag," she told him.

"Tch. How much you have in there?" He asked eyeing the bag hungrily. His fingers were just itching to grab it. Aki took a step back for her own personal safety.

"I didn't know you had that much!" Fuu cried. "How much do you have? You are **such** a miser!" Aki let out a little "psh" and folded her arms.

"About 20 coppers. And I'm not a miser. I just save my money," she said in her own defense. With a smug sort of look Fuu plucked the bag out of her friend's hand and slipped it into her own kimono. Disbelief covered Aki's face in a second.

"You have got to be kidding…you're keeping the money? Hm-something tells me that this is not a very smart idea."

"What do you mean not a smart idea?! Why aren't any of my ideas smart?!" Fuu exclaimed, aghast at Aki's lack of faith. The slightly taller girl began to list all the negative things that could happen to their money if Fuu was in charge of it.

"It would get stolen, you'd lose it-"

"No I wouldn't! You're being mean!"

"No, I'm not. I'm being practical." The men rolled their eyes towards each and Mugen shook his head in annoyance. In silent unison, they both settled on the ground to watch the girls bicker. To their surprise (and joy) the argument ended rather abruptly when Aki came up with a sensible solution.

"Look-I'll keep half and you keep half. So if you lose yours **or **if I lose mine we'll have a back up stash. Fair enough?" She asked. Fuu, still annoyed, nodded her head and poured about twelve copper coins into her hand. She handed these to Aki.

Aki's eyebrows came together as she began to feel a bit guilty. She hadn't meant to insult Fuu. She was just protective over her hard earned cash. Alright, she'd admit it. She was a bit of a miser, but she had learned in the past two months that Fuu was apt to lose her money. Fuu didn't spend her money on everything she saw, yet it always found ways to part her company. For example, Fuu was an excellent target for intelligent con men and pickpockets. The girl just wasn't wary enough when it came to people.

Aki sighed and put the twelve coins into a spare bag she had hidden in her robe. She mournfully watched Fuu slip her other bag into her own clothes.

"I guess we should start going huh?" Fuu said. The men rose.

"Where we headin'?" Mugen asked. Aki smirked as Fuu's stomach growled.

"Uhhh…Some place with food," she groaned. With that the odd party began their trek.


	6. Chapter 6

"My feet hurt…and I'm hungry," Fuu moaned. She rubbed her little hands across her stomach, looking utterly pitiful. Aki's mouth hardened at this latest complaint. She was not in the best of moods. After several snide comments from Mugen about her 'suggestive' attire, his bothersome fascination with her unique eyes, and Fuu's continuous moaning and groaning she had become horribly grumpy. However, glancing over her shoulder at Fuu she remembered their previous spat and felt a pang of remorse.

Sighing, she bent her knees and crouched before the other girl. Fuu did not realize what was going on for a moment. Jin and Mugen were also confused. They watched silently.

"Eh?"

"Jump on if your feet hurt so much," Aki grumbled. A wide grin spread across Fuu's face.

"Really!" Aki nodded. With a squeal Fuu scrambled up onto her back. She rose with a grunt and began to teeter backwards.

"Aah!" Fuu shrieked. Aki pitched herself forward and thankfully regained her balance.

"Geez! How much do you eat girl?" She teased. Fuu tugged her hair in an annoyed response. The group then continued on their way. All were silent except Fuu, who was berating Aki for her jibe and sighing about this and that. Aki grinned during her scolding and wasn't bothered by her companion's prattling, but she frowned slightly when Mugen sidled next to her.

"Heh. You've some nice legs," He said. He rubbed a bony knuckle against Aki's hip. Said girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Yeah I hear that all the time," she replied edging away. Mugen's smirk widened and he drew in closer. The chase was on.

"Ah c'mon baby. How about-"

"No."

"I hate hard to get girls," Mugen said thrusting his face in far too close for comfort. Aki pulled one arm out from under Fuu's leg and pushed the obtrusive face away.  
"I hate annoying boys," she said, emphasizing the word 'boy'. Mugen frowned. He was about to say something when Aki snapped out, "Ow!" Fuu had just dug her knees into Aki's side. The look on Fuu's face was one of joy.

"There's a stop up ahead! Maybe they have food!" Aki rolled her eyes as Fuu began chattering about the happiness that often accompanied food.

It didn't take them long to reach the little 'restaurant.' Fuu entered the small building while Aki's and Mugen's rears took up residence on a wooden bench located outside. Jin stood off to the side, arms folded and as silent as ever. Mugen threw his arm around Aki's shoulder, grinning like…well…he was grinning like he always does when he knows he's winning whatever game he's playing. Aki's eyes widened in disbelief, but not anger.

"You do not know when to give up do you?" She asked him. Now that Fuu was no longer complaining and she wasn't walking, Aki found that being pleasant was much easier.

"Nope!" She finally gave up being annoyed and chuckled at his carefree reply. She then looked up at Jin.

"Hey. Jin, do you ever talk?" She asked jovially. Jin's eyes were trained on the ground. The man was still ashamed of what Aki had witnessed earlier that morning.

"Only when there are people worth speaking to." Aki drew her head back in surprise at his rather harsh comment. She exchanged a look with Mugen, who didn't really seem to care about what Jin had just said. She placed his wandering hand back on her shoulder and smiled weakly at the samurai.

"That was…harsh," she replied. She felt awkward, as silence seemed to smother her and Jin. Mugen was the only one whose mood seemed to be peppy. He was quite content hitting on Aki and proceeded to try and sneak his hands farther than they should go. Aki slapped them rather listlessly. Mugen, at first, thought it odd that she wasn't popping a blood vessel but then came to the conclusion that she must be used to this kind of behavior. He could hardly believe his good luck.

"I'm traveling with a whore!" He muttered with glee. Aki glared at him in reproach.

"What did you just say?"

"Eh-heh. Nothing."

"I'm pretty sure you just called me a whore."

"Aren't you one?


	7. Chapter 7

Jin looked on with interest as Aki gazed with disbelief and anger at Mugen, who appeared to be confused. She rose with an insulted look on her face. Her shadow cast an eerie picture on the ground.

"Well if you aren't a whore what the hell are you?" Mugen asked, grinning jokingly. Aki placed her hands on her hips and bent down.

"A woman who wants to punch you in the head sometime," she informed him. A churlish grin appeared on the man's face. Instead of backing down, he rose to the challenge with gusto. He leered up at her.

"You wanna try?" He asked her. AKi suddenly began to falter under his savage expression. She blinked and felt her anger morph rather rapidly into discomfort. She drew away from him and snorted in disgust.

"Stupid idiot. He's creepy," she thought, folding her arms in a protective fashion across her chest. She didn't see the intrigued and amused air that Mugen studied her with.

Said man rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. The chances of this trip being an entertaining had just gone up a notch, he mused.

"Who wants dumplings?" A familiar voice cried, interrupting his reverie. Aki, Jin, and he turned their heads to see Fuu approaching with a small tray that held two sticks of dumplings. She walked over to the bench.

"Umm…how many do we each get?" She asked the group.

"I'll just kill you three and eat 'em all myself!" Mugen announced. His hand reached for the food, but Fuu lifted it over her head.

"Hey! Don't be a jerk!" She scolded him. He frowned at her.

"C'mon! Give me the food! Why'd ya get so little anyway?" He complained.

"Because she knows that if she wastes all my money on food, I'll ki-" Aki's explanation was interrupted when a bird flew down and rudely snatched the dumplings away in its claws. The group stood there, silent and dumbfounded.

"What the hell was that?" Mugen asked. Jin sighed, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and answered the way one may talk to a two year old.

"It's called a Snatcher bird. For obvious reasons."

"Fuu, you just got our food stolen by a **bird**…and you've wasted some of my money. Great job," Aki drawled. Fuu balked at the statement.

"What? Don't blame that on me! And besides, all of it isn't your money!" She cried in her own defense. "Most of it is though!" Aki shot back. She and Mugen were looking peeved.

"Ya little idiot! You lost the food!" He groaned. Fuu placed her hands on her hips and frowned.

"It wasn't my fault!" Aki rolled her unique eyes at her friend's yelling.

"Nothing's your fault," she retorted. Fuu's eyebrows arched downward and her temper flared.

"Well most of the time it isn't!" She exclaimed. She looked like she was about to have a grade-A tantrum.

Jin raised his hand from the inside of his robe. His face was solemn; he wanted to avoid a scene with the younger girl as much as possible. He'd heard how loud she could get, and he did not want to punish his poor ears further.

"Enough," he said, his voice quiet. Aki glanced over at him; still not looking happy. Her miserly side was roaring at the loss of her hard earned money, and her empty stomach was ready to digest anything she could put in her mouth. She glared up at the sky and growled softly in the back of her throat.

"Let's buy more food and continue on," Jin suggested. Mugen concentrated his eyes on him.

"Who made you the boss huh? I don't like being ordered around," he told Jin. The samurai glanced over at him.

"People with intelligence are usually leaders," he informed Mugen. His words held an insulting tone.

"Shut up you ass!" Immediately the two men had whipped out their swords. Aki watched them in a state of surprise, while Fuu sighed in annoyance.

"Hey! Stop that! You two promised not to kill each other!" She reminded them, waving her finger. A low chortle caught her attention.

"They could kill the ogre for us!" A peasant with fat lips declared. His companion nodded. "Oh yes! They're just the ones for that job! I could never do it!" An older samurai tittered. Mugen twisted his neck around. When he found the men who had been speaking, he approached them. His gait was cocky and self-assured.

"Ogre? You guys need somebody to get rid of an ogre?" He asked, relieving them of a stick of dumplings.

"My dumplings!" The fat lipped peasant cried. Mugen devoured the food, and then tossed the stick into the air. His eyes closed, teeth chewing the mediocre dumplings, he swung his sword.

Before the peasants' feet fell the split sliver of wood. This astonishing act blessed Mugen with a plate of sustenance and a bottle of sake. The two peasants sat looking at him with faces of excitement. It was extremely rare for them to ever see a man with such skill in swordplay.

Fuu, Jin, and Aki trailed into the little building. Aki and Jin sat down at a table, while Fuu stretched her arms.

Aki sighed in the cool room. She was relieved to get out of the sun's rays. She rubbed her temple when she realized one of the peasant's eyes was drifting towards her naked leg. She slid it farther under the table to try and hide it from view.

"I really need to get a new kimono," she thought with embarrassment. Her brown hairs flew in front of her eyes as she stared off into space. Jin watched her. Silently he twisted around and took a dumpling off of Mugen's plate.

"Here," he offered. Aki nodded in appreciation. The two of them split the dumpling and were overjoyed to fill their bellies.

Jin turned his head as the older samurai addressed him. "You know, I really do admire them. Confident people, I mean," he stammered. Jin nodded respectfully. Aki thought he looked like a sweet old man, who would be utterly useless in times of trouble, but still nice company. Fuu marched over to Mugen; who wasn't really listening to the two peasants as they discussed their ogre problem.

"Hey! What're you doing? What do you think you are? Some kind of hero? Remember your promise! You just can't go off to kill some stupid ogre!" Fuu began to reprimand Mugen. One of the peasants rose to appease her.

"Hey, hey! Just calm down! Here! Have a seat," he offered. Minutes later, Fuu was introduced to sake. She guzzled cup after cup, much to Aki's and the peasants' surprise.

"I didn't know you liked sake," Aki said. Fuu clacked her cup down upon the table, her cheeks red. She sighed and then passed out cold. Aki's head rolled back."Oh boy," she groaned. It looked like she'd be stuck carrying Fuu again.

"Tch. Light weight," Mugen snorted in annoyance.

Jin's eyes rose from his tea when he heard the innkeeper squeak out a weak, "S-sir?"

"Hm?"

"You weren't planning on going through the mountains where you?"

"That was our intention yes."

"I just wanted to tell you about a small shack that you can stay in. It's by some hot springs. It isn't much but it'll be better than sleeping outside," the old man said.

"Ah, thank you."

Fifteen minutes later, Jin, Aki, and Mugen found themselves back upon the road. They had placed the incapacitated body of Fuu upon a cart that the innkeeper had offered them. Jin was pulling her along. Mugen and Aki were on either side of the cart. The evening sun was turning the world a burnt orange. Aki watched Mugen's long shadow bob along the dirt road to distract herself from the silence.

"Stupid broad. Let's strip 'er an' dump 'er," Mugen suggested when he looked at Fuu, who was snoring. Aki showed him a lopsided grin. Jin was as silent as the grave as usual.

"If you do I'll have to kill you," she warned. Mugen smirked at her and crooked his finger as a wordless challenge.

"That innkeeper," Jin quietly interjected. The sudden whisper sound of his voice caused Aki's ears to perk up.

"What?" She asked him. She quickened her pace to walk beside him, and noticed that he looked somewhat confused. Yet, the samurai merely shook his head.

"Nothing. It was probably nothing," he assured her. The trio continued walking, till Mugen noticed a woman walking toward them.

The fading light created the illusion that she was a beautiful specter roaming the earth alone in search of something she may have lost whilst she was alive. If Aki was an artist she thought she would feel impassioned to record the scene with her paints, before it vanished with the sun.

The woman appeared to be troubled. It seemed her sandal was broken. Mugen readily went to assist her in mending it. Aki shook her head with a soft chuckle.

"All you need to get by in the world is a nice pair of breasts," she reflected. Jin turned to her, curious as to why she seemed amused.

"What's funny?" He questioned. Aki shrugged.

"I think our traveling companion uses his downstairs brain more than the one upstairs. Wouldn't you agree?" Jin's lips stretched into the form of a grin.

"Yes. I would," he said. Aki smiled at him. She touched his elbow and gestured to the cart.

"Do you want some help?"

"No thank you. I'm fine. Shall we continue on?" He suggested. "If our companion does indeed use his 'lower' brain I wouldn't like to be here to see the effects." Aki laughed.

"I'm with you." With that, they left Mugen behind, who was indeed hoping that he could put his downstairs brain into use.


End file.
